At Attleboro Dental Group, we offer several ways for patients to replace their missing teeth, but if you want a solution that offers a lifelike appearance and can remain in place for decades, the only option is dental implants. As the only root-to-crown tooth replacement available, these prosthetics are designed to offer patients a better quality of life. If you’re ready to eat, speak, and smile confidently again, call our team to schedule a consultation and learn what steps you can take to begin your journey with dental implants from our North Attleboro, MA dentist.
Why Choose Attleboro Dental Group for Dental Implants?
In-House Specialist to Place and Restore Dental Implants
Cone Beam Imaging for Accurate Treatment Planning
We Welcome Dental Insurance & Offer Flexible Financing
What are Dental Implants?
Dental implants are titanium posts that look like screws but mimic teeth roots. Unlike dentures and dental bridges that rest on the gums or rely on existing teeth to hold them in place, these superior prosthetics fuse with the jawbone. Topped with a customized dental crown, bridge, or denture, patients with dental implants enjoy a greater bite force while consuming nutrient-rich foods beneficial for their diets. These prosthetics also generate longer-lasting smiles that can remain in place for 30 years or more.
The 4-Step Dental Implant Process
Whereas traditional dental bridges and dentures only require a few steps to complete, dental implants involve a much more complicated process that can take several months to finish. Though the timeframe seems lengthy, the benefits you can enjoy from this treatment will make it worth your while. Fortunately, our team can perform the entire procedure in-house, meaning you can get your work done in place with a dentist you already know and trust. Keep reading to learn the four major steps of the dental implant process.
Initial Dental Implant Consultation
Of course, we’ll first need to discuss your oral health and smile goals through an initial consultation. Our team will evaluate your smile, facial structure, and jawbone density to confirm if dental implants are a viable option for restoring your missing pearly whites. We’ll also discuss your payment options and answer any questions you might have during this time.
If we detect any underlying problems like decay, infection, or insufficient bone tissue, then you may have to undergo preliminary treatments like gum disease therapy, bone grafting, or tooth extractions to get your oral health in order. Once you’re ready, we can move forward with your procedure.
Dental Implant Surgery
During your appointment, we will typically numb your mouth with a local anesthetic to keep you comfortable and pain-free throughout the treatment. Your dentist will make a small incision into your gums to access your jawbone. They’ll place your dental implants at the exact location and angle that was planned before suturing your gums around them. Lastly, we’ll cover your implants with temporary caps to protect them as you recover.
Dental Implant Osseointegration & Abutment
Over the next few months, it’ll be incredibly important that you allow your implants to fuse properly with your jawbone through a process called osseointegration. Successful bonding will result in the stable foundation necessary to support your new pearly whites, allowing your restorations to function as normal teeth. Once this process is completed, you’ll return to our office to receive your abutments, which you’ll also need some time to heal from.
Delivery of Dental Implant Restoration(s)
After you’ve recovered from having your abutments placed, you’ll come back to us to have your new dental crown, bridge, or dentures fitted. Our team will verify that your restorations fit properly, your bite is comfortable, and that you’re satisfied with the results. You’ll also be free to ask any questions you might have before we send you on your way to enjoy your brand-new smile!
Benefits of Dental Implants
Are you currently in the process of choosing between dental bridges, dentures, and dental implants? If so, it might be helpful to know some of the benefits that come with the latter, including the day-to-day benefits, health benefits, and long-term benefits.
Day-to-Day Benefits
Here are some of the day-to-day benefits our patients in North Attleborough with dental implants enjoy:
Improved Confidence – Simply put, tooth loss can take a serious toll on your self-esteem. The good news is that dentures can fill the gaps in your smile seamlessly or even replace an entire arch – in a way that looks and feels natural too!
Easy-to-Clean Prosthetics – Instead of soaking them at night like traditional dentures, you can easily clean your teeth with a soft-bristled toothbrush and non-abrasive toothpaste.
Varied Diet – With a greater bite force and chewing power, your diet won’t be limited to soft foods anymore. Instead, you can eat nutrient-rich foods without worrying your teeth will slip or fall out.
Health Benefits
Of course, dental implants also help when it comes to your oral and overall health. Here’s how:
Improved Jawbone Stimulation – Dental implants are unique in more ways than one, but one of the most defining characteristics is that they replace the root and crown of the missing tooth. So, your jawbone is stimulated every time you chew, which helps prevent bone loss.
Natural Teeth Will Remain in Place – Not only do you get to maintain more of your natural tooth structure, but your existing teeth will not drift. This is a common oral health problem that accompanies tooth loss, and it can negatively impact the look and health of your smile.
Better Overall Health – With dental implants, you can lower your risk of systemic issues commonly linked to tooth loss (i.e., diabetes, osteoporosis, heart disease). Plus, you can help prevent other problems, like malnutrition and indigestion.
Long-Term Benefits
Finally, dental implants come with several unique, long-term benefits, including:
High Success Rate – Dental implants are known for their high success rate (which is more than 95%). Part of ensuring that yours last is conducting a comprehensive exam to assess the density of your jawbone and your commitment to a solid oral hygiene regimen.
Preserve Youthful Face Shape – Dental implants provide continuous stimulation to the jawbone, which helps prevent facial sagging as well as a sunken-in look.
Long Lifespan – With proper care, dental implants can last for 30 years. In fact, they may last longer than that! The best way to ensure yours last as long as possible is by adopting good oral hygiene habits, like brushing consistently.
Who Dental Implants Can Help
Nearly any adult with missing teeth can get dental implants in North Attleborough. Aside from suffering tooth loss, qualifying for them doesn't take much. However, you should still consult our dentists before you commit to treatment. They’ll examine your smile to see if dental implants would help and draft a custom treatment plan as needed. If you want further details, simply keep reading or call our office in the coming days.
Who is a Good Candidate for Dental Implants?
If you’re a healthy adult, you likely qualify for dental implants; these prosthetic teeth don’t require much else. Even so, the fact remains that implants benefit some patients more than others. Good candidates for them tend to have the following three traits:
Good Overall Health – Implant placement is a surgery, so your body must be healthy enough to endure it. It’ll otherwise cause adverse side effects.
Great Oral Health – As it turns out, untreated cavities and gum disease cause implant failure. You’ll want your dentist to treat such issues before getting an implant surgery.
A Sufficiently-Dense Jawbone – For your treatment to succeed, your jawbone must be dense enough to support dental implants. A fragile jaw will cause implants to come loose and fail.
If you lack the traits above, you can still become a good implant candidate later. You’d just need to undergo some preliminary dental services – tooth extraction, gum disease therapy, bone grafts, etc. Through such procedures, your mouth would be strong enough to handle implants.
Missing One Tooth
To replace a missing tooth, it’d be okay to get a single implant post and crown. This pair should restore your smile seamlessly and last a long while – the average implant has a longer lifespan than a dental bridge. Its placement should also go smoothly, as the dentist won’t need to alter your other teeth. (Such alterations can weaken a tooth and make it sensitive.)
Missing Multiple Teeth
If you’re missing multiple consecutive teeth, consider an implant bridge. This device consists of two dental implants fused to a pontic (i.e., an artificial tooth.) When correctly set, it replaces several teeth at once without using abutments. The dentist doesn’t have to remove any existing enamel.
In contrast, a partial implant denture is better when the missing teeth are spread throughout your mouth. This appliance uses several implant posts to anchor itself in place.
Missing All Teeth
Once you’ve lost (or soon will lose) all your natural teeth, an implant denture is your best bet. It can restore an entire arch at once with just a few well-placed dental implants. Better yet, it won’t slip around or fall out like a typical denture can. The device remains firmly in place thanks to its posts and lets you eat, speak, and smile without worry.
On the other hand, you could opt for All-On-4 dental implants. These sorts work well for patients with inadequate jawbone density – a known effect of prolonged tooth loss. As their name implies, they firmly secure a full denture with just four strategically placed dental implants.
The cost of dental implants is largely based on various factors our team will discuss during your initial consultation. From the location of your missing teeth to how many you need to have replaced as well as the type of restoration you need, we will break down the details in a way that is easy to understand. From there, our qualified staff will work to maximize your dental insurance benefits while also discussing flexible payment options to keep your out-of-pocket expenses as low as possible.
Advanced Dental Implant Procedures
Not a good candidate for dental implants? Don’t worry – that doesn’t mean you’re never able to get them! At Attleboro Dental Group, we offer advanced procedures that can help prepare you for a newly rebuilt smile. If you don’t have enough bone in your jaw to support the posts, there are many steps we can take to prepare your jawbone. Below, you can learn more about how we use enhanced and innovative technologies and techniques to set your smile up for success.
Bone Grafting
Jawbone density is the key to successful dental implant placement. If your jaw is weakened, we often recommend bone grafting as an effective solution. During your consultation, Dr. Cifuni will examine your jawbone to determine if this procedure is even necessary.
Once it’s clear you’re able to move forward with this procedure, he’ll begin the process by opening the gums and exposing the underlying bone. Then, he’ll use bone minerals from another part of your body or a donor and place them into the appropriate areas of your jawbone. Afterward, it will take several months for the new and existing bone to fuse together.
Sinus Lifts
It can be difficult to place dental implants in the upper back jaw. Not only is there less bone density in that area, but the sinuses can potentially get in the way. In that case, we may perform a sinus lift to add the necessary bone and prevent the sinuses from causing unnecessary complications.
After Dr. Cifuni makes an incision in your gums, he’ll create a small window in your jawbone. He’ll gently lift the membrane of the sinus cavity to fill the newly empty space with the grafting material. This will help make the jawbone thicker and move the sinuses so that they won’t be damaged by dental implant placement. Like a bone graft, it’ll take your mouth about 4-12 months to fully heal after a sinus lift.
PRP/PRF Treatment
Following dental implant surgery, it’s incredibly important to make sure your mouth heals properly. That’s why Dr. Cifuni provides patients with PRF/PRP treatment, also known as platelet-rich fibrin or platelet-rich plasma treatment. The process involves using your blood to speed up the healing process during recovery.
Your blood will be extracted before your procedure and placed in a centrifuge. Once you’re ready, he’ll apply it around the surgical site to encourage faster healing. Since it’s your own blood that’s used, there’s a far lower risk of possible infection.
Ridge Expansion
If your jawbone isn’t wide enough to successfully support your new implants, we may need to perform a ridge expansion procedure. Dr. Cifuni will use specialized instruments to easily divide the bone so that an inner and outer area is created. Then, he will fill the wedge with grafting materials to widen the space and create a denser area. Once you’re all healed up, you can take the next step on your journey toward a complete smile with implants.
Dental Implant FAQs
Dental implants in North Attleboro are the next best thing to real teeth; however, they are a lifelong commitment. It’s normal to have some concerns, but don’t worry. Your dentist will explain everything during your implant consultation. While you wait for your appointment, here are the answers to the most frequently asked questions.
Can I take dental implants out?
No, you can’t take dental implants out because they are set in your jawbone. A dental implant replicates both the root and the crown. A titanium post is surgically placed into your jaw to serve as a new root. Your bone will fuse to it through a process called osseointegration, allowing it to potentially stay in place forever. Therefore, only a trained dental professional can remove it, like in failure cases. Although you can’t take out the posts, some implant dentures are removable for easy cleaning.
Am I too old for dental implants?
There’s no age limit for dental implants, so you’re never too old to invest in a complete smile. However, with age come certain medical conditions and medications used to manage them. As a result, you may be at risk of complications, like delayed healing or infections. Don’t worry, your implant dentist in North Attleboro will create a personalized strategy to replace your lost teeth safely. Your dentist will learn more about your oral and general health, including any medications you’re taking. Based on the information, they may recommend additional procedures before your placement surgery, like periodontal therapy or bone grafting.
Does it hurt to get dental implants?
You won’t feel anything during your placement surgery because your jawbone doesn’t have any nerve endings. Your dentist will also use a numbing agent or sedative to block pain signals. Although your implant procedure will be pain free, it’s normal for your mouth to be sore for a few days. You can manage your discomfort using an OTC or prescribed pain reliever. Apply a cold compress to the outside of your face to numb the area. It will also reduce inflammation and bruising. Your dentist will give you additional aftercare instructions, like sticking to a liquid diet for a few days.
What are the signs of dental implant failure?
The risk of dental implant failure is less than 5%; however, it’s best to monitor your smile for any changes, like red, swollen, or bleeding gums. Any pain or discomfort when biting or chewing is also concerning. If you have any signs of dental implant failure, do not wait to contact our office for an appointment. With a quick diagnosis and treatment, we can prevent your new smile from failing.
What should I do if my implant feels loose?
After your jaw has fused with the implant, it should never feel loose. If your implant is wiggling or doesn’t feel stable, contact our office right away. It can be a sign of dental implant failure, which may be caused by bone loss or peri-implantitis. We will pinpoint the problem to protect your investment.
